Police: AWOL sex offenders have ‘jetted off abroad’

North Yorkshire Police believe a pair of AWOL sex offenders have fled the country, The Scarborough News can exclusively reveal.

It comes after an investigation revealed that nationally, the whereabouts of hundreds of offenders - including rapists - are unknown.

DCI Nigel Costello of Malton CID speaks to the media about the death of a 24-year-old woman in North Yorkshire thought to be linked to the "party drug" mephedrone during a briefing at Fulford Police Station, York. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday March 23, 2010. See PA story POLICE Mephedrone. Photo credit should read: Anna Gowthorpe/PA Wire

These include two in this region, although police here believe both have jetted off to Asia.

North Yorkshire Police have not disclosed the identity of the two absconding sex offenders, or what they were convicted of - although one is thought to now be in Cambodia.

The region’s other missing offender, who originates from China, is thought to have returned to his home country.

All measures and flags are in place to alert the relevant authorities

Nigel Costello

“The two convicted sex offenders highlighted in the report have both left the country, having failed to register with North Yorkshire Police – one is currently in China as he is a Chinese national, and the other we believe is in Cambodia.

“All measures and flags are in place to alert the relevant authorities.”

He added: “We take offender management very seriously, and along with our partners, manage those under our duty of care with the utmost professionalism.”

A Freedom of Information request revealed that across 39 UK forces, police have ‘lost’ 394 sex offenders, who are legally obliged to notify their local force as to where they live.

Sara Payne, whose daughter Sarah was murdered by a paedophile Roy Whiting, branded the figures “unacceptable”. However, North Yorkshire’s figure is one of the lowest in the country, with the Met revealing they knew of 169 missing offenders.